A gas-liquid separator is generally applicable to a refrigerating system, which is mounted between an evaporator and a compressor. The gas-liquid separator is mainly adapted to separate a gas-phase refrigerant from a liquid-phase refrigerant, and only the gas-phase refrigerant is absorbed into the compressor from a suction port thereof. Thus, a compressor slugging may be avoided. In addition, refrigerant oil is returned into the compressor to lubricate the compressor, so as to ensure a normal operation of the compressor and store a part of the liquid-phase refrigerant.
Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic view of a conventional structure of a gas-liquid separator is shown.
The gas-liquid separator generally includes a cylindrical body 105 with an inner chamber; an upper end cover 103 arranged above the cylindrical body 105 and fixedly connected with an inlet tube 101; and a lower end cover 104 arranged below the cylindrical body 105 and fixedly connected with an outlet tube 102. The upper end cover 103, the cylindrical body 105 and the lower end cover 104 constitute a closed inner chamber with a certain volume. It is required that no leakage and no-damage would happen when the inner chamber subjects a certain pressure. The outlet tube 102 is kept at a certain height in the inner chamber. The inlet tube 101 and the outlet tube 102 are coaxially arranged. A filter component 106 is further arranged between an inner side of the upper end cover 103 and the outlet tube 102. The gas-liquid separator may also have other structures. In a machine assembly, the outlet tube of the gas-liquid separator is kept vertically downwards, the inlet tube and the outlet tube are connected to tubes of the machine respectively, and the connected gas-liquid separator is located behind the evaporator and in front of the compressor.
Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a structure of a filter component 106; FIG. 3 is a schematic top view of the filter component 106 shown in FIG. 2; and FIG. 4 is a schematic isometric view of the filter component 106 shown in FIG. 2. The filter component 106 mainly includes a filter screen 161 and a filter screen seat 162. Gas guide holes 163 are arranged on the filter screen seat 162. The filter screen 161 curves upwards to be in an arch shape. A center portion of the filter screen seat 162 also curves upwards to be in an arch shape. A diameter of the arch-shaped portion of the filter screen seat 162 is larger than a diameter of the outlet tube 102. The gas guide holes 163 are evenly arranged at a periphery of the arch-shaped area of the filter screen seat 162.
A lower end of the outlet tube 102 is welded to the lower end cover 104, the outlet tube 102 is fixed connected to the lower end cover 104 by only a welding portion, and the outlet tube 102 is kept at a certain height inside the inner chamber of the cylindrical body 105 so as to be in a suspension state. Therefore, in the welding process, the outlet tube 102 is apt to incline. In addition, since the welding portion has a small size and is unable to subject a large force, damage is apt to happen when in use. In patent CN200520102760, a positioning device for fixing the outlet tube 102 is additionally provided for solving this problem. The positioning device includes a positioning sleeve 201 and a supporting frame 202, as shown in FIG. 5.
In an operation process, a gas-liquid mixture enters into the inner chamber via the inlet tube 101. The gas, after entering into the inner chamber, passes through the filter screen 161, and passes through the gas guide holes 163 into the inner chamber of the cylindrical body 5 under the blocking of the filter screen seat 162. The liquid of the gas-liquid mixture falls towards the bottom of the inner chamber of the cylindrical body 5 because of the pull of gravity. The gas floats and enters into the outlet tube 102 under the influence of an external force, and enters into the compressor after being exported from the outlet tube 102, and small portion of liquid flows out through an oil return hole of the outlet tube 102.
Based on the above, the filter component in the gas-liquid separator has a relatively complicated structure, resulting in complicated assembling procedures and a high material cost. Therefore it is a technical problem to be solved presently by the skilled in the art to simplify the filter component, and reduce the manufacture cost of the gas-liquid separator.